Dropping Now
by BenadrylCrumplesack
Summary: Two pilots. Two sides. One fight. Who's on the side of victory remains yet to be seen. Stand by for Titanfall.
**Author Note: I own none of the characters or locations or basic storyline from the game.**

Bish studied the troops standing in front of him. Some of them seasoned soldiers, some of them fresh faced homesteaders still glowing in anticipation of fighting for the freedom of the Frontier against the corporation that razed their homelands for nothing more than the natural resources used to turn profits. Luckily, the mercenaries, bandits, battle hardened homesteaders outnumbered the fresh faces. He turned to Sarah. "It's all you."

"It always has been." She replied, turning to the mass of people in front of them. "Alright, listen up, soldiers!" Sarah called out, raising her voice to be heard by everyone. "As you know, the IMC has displaced several more Frontier colonies in order to establish mining operations on some of the outer planets, forcing the colonists to leave their homes and their lives behind. We went in to try and stop them. We were successful to a degree, and managed to take back two colonies. Unfortunately, that operation left us with a significant detriment to our assets, more specifically, our fuel supplies. Interplanetary travel takes a lot of fuel, and we don't have the kind of fuel reserves that comes from seizing land and resources from hardworking people like the IMC does. Therefore, we're going to kill two birds with one stone. We're going to get our fuel, and we're going to stick it to the IMC by conducting a raid on one of their refueling stations." She looked at all of them. "This won't be easy. But if we succeed, it'll be worth it. Bish?"

Bish stepped forward. "We're going to head out as soon as possible. Go for a surprise attack. We don't want the IMC to know we're even considering this, because we want to get the drop on them. Pilots, you're with Sarah. Those of you who have never been on the inside of a Titan are going to get a crash course in Titan 101. Good luck with that. The rest of you I will be briefing on the details of our mission."

Sarah waved her hand, and started to leave the room.

Rhiannon Caffey, a former homesteader from a small colony on one of the much outer planets with rich mineral deposits that had caught the eye of the IMC, stepped forward to follow Sarah. She didn't quite know why she'd been given the opportunity to be a pilot. She assumed it had something to do with the fact that she had organized a resistance to the IMC forces that had invaded the colony, Cascadia, and said resistance had been successful in driving the IMC out of the area. But not before the IMC forces had burned her home to the ground. Apparently, that kind of action had a positive enough effect on Sarah to the point that she'd requested Caffey be put in with the rest of her pilots.

"Pilots. You are probably the most effective part of the Militia's strength. You are the ones who operate the heavy weaponry that can be the deciding factor between victory or defeat." Sarah folded her arms. "Your role in this fight is crucial. So please, for the love of all things holy: try to destroy as many of the IMC's Titans as possible, and as few as ours." She studied the group of pilots standing in front of her, fifteen in all. "How many of you have never piloted a Titan before? Raise your hands."

Caffey raised her hand. She'd never seen a Titan in person before, let alone piloted one. She'd seen them in pictures, of course. In IMC propaganda advertisements, waxing poetic about the glory and prestige of being an IMC Titan pilot. She was grateful the attack on Cascadia had never come down to a Titan battle, since the IMC hadn't expected any resistance from the colony. If it had, she probably would've just shit herself instead of convincing her friends and neighbors to band together.

"Alright. About four of you. Well, you're the ones I'm going to run through the training first. Let's hit the training map. You'll learn to use your jetpacks for complicated maneuvers such as wall running, high jumping, wall climbing, etc. That comes first, as that's your first line of defense against grunts, spectres and other pilots until we can drop a Titan for you. So don't skimp on your practice. It's just as important as the fancy schmancy Titan bullshit." Sarah smiled. "Who's ready for some battlefield gymnastics?"

Caffey blinked in disbelief. This was one of the people the IMC had on their most wanted list? A battlefield gymnastics teacher? It was a wonder that the Militia gave the IMC any trouble at all if she was one of the best the Militia had.

Reluctantly, Caffey followed Sarah and the three other pilots to the training area.

"I don't know whether to be confident in her breezy and casual attitude or be second guessing what I've gotten myself into." A male pilot with red hair and a look of dread muttered to her.

"I feel that on a spiritual level." Caffey muttered back, trying to quell the sudden tightening in her chest. The intense rage she had felt at the IMC that had prompted her to join the Militia had since faded, and she was starting to regret signing up for this.


End file.
